Toxoplasmosis in Cats: Symptoms and Treatment

Toxoplasmosis in cats is an infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Most healthy cats show no symptoms, but some may develop fever, lethargy, breathing difficulties, or neurological problems. 

Treatment is available, and simple precautions can help protect both cats and people from infection. 

What Is Toxoplasmosis in Cats?

Toxoplasmosis in cats is a relatively common disease caused by the protozoal parasite Toxoplasma gondii. It can be found worldwide in animals, birds, and humans. 

The disease is generally mild in cats, but because it is zoonotic (meaning it can be transmitted to people), it’s important to recognize its health implications. 

You may have heard that if you're pregnant or plan to become pregnant, you should re-home your cat because of toxoplasmosis. 

This is a legitimate concern for pregnant people and their babies, but there's no reason to re-home your cat because of the condition. 

What Causes Toxoplasmosis in Cats?

Cats can become infected with Toxoplasma gondii by: 

• Ingesting feces containing infectious oocysts (similar to parasitic eggs). 
• Eating infected tissues such as uncooked meat or wildlife 
• The passage of tachyzoites (another stage of the toxoplasmosis organism) from mother to fetus during pregnancy. 

How the Toxoplasma gondii Lifecycle Works

The lifecycle of toxoplasmosis involves multiple hosts, or animals that carry the organism during different parts of its life cycle. 

Cats are definitive hosts. This means that the toxoplasma parasite can reproduce inside the cat and make egg-like microscopic organisms, called oocysts. 

When the cat defecates, their stool contains these oocysts. After 1-5 days, the oocysts become contagious to other animals when they ingest the feces. 

Livestock, like cows, sheep and goats, can ingest the oocysts while they are grazing in pastures where cats have defecated. 

Humans can accidentally ingest the oocysts if they do not wash their hands well after cleaning the litter box, or playing in a sand box contaminated with cat feces and touching their mouth or food. 

Rodents can ingest the parasite while foraging or grooming themselves after running through areas where infected cat feces were present. 

These livestock, rodents, and humans all serve as intermediate hosts for the parasite. This means that the parasite will live inside them but does not reproduce. 

Inside the intermediate hosts, the toxoplasmosis oocysts will morph into tachyzoites. This is a rapidly dividing stage of the parasite. The tachyzoites can move through tissues and form cysts. 

When parasitic cysts form inside the tissue, they’re called bradyzoites. When that infected tissue is eaten, the parasite is spread. 

As avid hunters, cats will ingest rodents that have toxoplasma cysts (bradyzoites) inside their bodies.  

Alternatively, they may groom themselves after using a litter box containing feces from another infected cat and ingest the sporulated oocysts while licking their paws.  

After becoming infected, the cycle repeats itself. 

What Happens After a Cat is Infected? 

After a cat is infected, T. gondii can produce oocysts, which are then passed in the stool, or replicate to become tachyzoites, which migrate throughout the body and affect multiple organs. 

Symptoms vary depending on which organs are affected. 

When Do Toxoplasma Oocysts Become Infectious? 

Toxoplasma gondii oocysts are not immediately infectious when passed in cat feces. 

They generally become infectious within one to five days after being shed. 

Once infectious, oocysts can survive in the environment for months. 

This is why removing feces from your cat's litter box every day is an important way to reduce potential exposure. 

What Are the Symptoms of Toxoplasmosis in Cats?

Symptoms of toxoplasmosis in cats are often mild and can go unnoticed in otherwise healthy cats.  

When symptoms occur, they depend on the organ(s) affected by the tachyzoite. 

Symptoms may include: 

• Lethargy 
• Decreased appetite 
• Weight loss 
• Fever 
• Difficulty breathing 
• Jaundice 
• Behavioral changes 
• Vision loss 
• Cloudy or blue color inside the eye 
• Weakness 
• Neurologic signs, including:
• • Lack of coordination (ataxia) or circling 
  • Neck pain 
  • Seizures 

When Should You Call Your Veterinarian?  

If your cat has difficulty breathing or a sudden onset of neurologic issues (like lack of balance or circling), take them immediately for care, to either your veterinarian or an urgent care center. 

If they are lethargic, feverish, or not eating, call a veterinarian right away. 

Cloudy eyes, vision changes and abnormal behaviors should all be worked up by a veterinarian as well, but you can often make an appointment at your convenience as long as they’re otherwise eating, drinking, and acting normally. 

How Is Toxoplasmosis in Cats Diagnosed?

Veterinarians may diagnose toxoplasmosis in cats using: 

• Antibody titer testing, through blood work 
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing, collected under anesthesia using a long spinal needle. 
•  Biopsies 

Diagnosis can be challenging because oocysts are rarely identified in routine stool exams. 

How Is Toxoplasmosis in Cats Treated?

Treatment for toxoplasmosis in cats usually consists of a two to four-week course of the antibiotic clindamycin and may be combined with other therapies (such as steroids), including supportive care. 

Sometimes steroids, like prednisolone, are prescribed in addition to clindamycin to reduce inflammation in the eyes or nervous system. 

It has been reported that cats shed oocysts only once in their lifetime because they develop immunity after the initial infection. 

Antibody testing can help confirm whether your cat has been previously exposed. 

How To Reduce Human Exposure to Toxoplasmosis 

You can take precautions to minimize exposure to toxoplasmosis in cats through your pet, food, gardening, and litter box care. 

1. Give your cat properly cooked or commercially prepared food. 

2. Prevent your cat from going outdoors and ingesting wildlife. 

3. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly. 

4. Avoid raw or undercooked meat and associated kitchen utensils and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after contact. Thoroughly cooking food will eliminate any tachyzoite or bradyzoite cysts it may contain. 

5. Wear gloves while gardening and keep sandboxes covered. 

6. Scoop the litter box daily. It takes one to five days for oocysts to become infectious, so day- to week-old feces pose a much higher risk. 

Toxoplasmosis Precautions for Pregnant or Immunocompromised People  

If you are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed, it’s recommended that someone else scoop the litter box for you. 

Pregnant women should be more vigilant because T. gondii can cross the placenta, and babies who are exposed can have significant birth defects. 

A cat who has toxoplasmosis does not necessarily need to be rehomed.  

As we discussed, toxoplasmosis is often asymptomatic in cats, and good litter box care makes all the difference in exposure in a household. 

Having someone else scoop the litterbox daily or wearing gloves while cleaning the litterbox can protect women from toxoplasmosis while pregnant.  

Remember, it takes one to five days before the oocysts become infectious, so scooping the box with gloves morning and night can help keep your family safe while keeping your furry family member in your life.   

Recovery and Management of Toxoplasmosis in Cats

Many cats who contract toxoplasmosis have no symptoms at all and do not require any special management. 

If your cat develops symptoms and becomes sick with toxoplasmosis necessitating treatment, recovery often takes several weeks. 

Long antibiotic courses that can last more than a month are often prescribed. These antibiotics can upset the natural flora in the gut.  

Consider a probiotic, like FortiFlora or Proviable, to support your cat’s gut health during and after treatment. 

If your cat has neurologic issues, consider keeping them in a smaller space, like a large crate that can fit a litter box, food, and water bowls.  

This can reduce your cat’s risk of falling off a high surface and hurting themselves during recovery. 

Low-entry litter boxes are easier to navigate for cats struggling with balance issues following neurologic disease. 

If your cat has uveitis and their vision is impaired, consider adding a night light to help visibility when navigating the house in the dark. 

Prevention of Toxoplasmosis in Cats

Cats who go outdoors are at an increased risk of contracting toxoplasmosis due to more exposure to oocytes in the environment. 

Avoid letting your cat hunt rodents to reduce their risk of toxoplasmosis. 

Minimize introductions of new cats to the household.  

If you foster kittens to help a rescue organization, house the foster animals in a different room from your cat with their own litter box, food, and water bowls. 

Wash your hands after handling and taking care of other cats.